Devon: BMW driver survives 20ft plunge into sea

A man had a very lucky escape after his car plunged 20ft into the sea on 11 October, landing upside down in the water.RNLI Teignmouth

A man had a very lucky escape after driving his sports car 20ft off a narrow coastal path, landing upside down in the sea on Sunday (11 October). Even though the BMW Z3 convertible's wheels were barely out of the water, the 37-year-old driver managed to get out and reach the shore safely.

The driver, who is not thought to be local, was "reasonably well and was able to walk half a mile back to Teignmouth", said Tony Watson, from the Teignmouth Lifeboat station, adding that the man had already got out of the car when the rescue boat arrived.

Pictures released by the Royal National Lifeboat Institution Teignmouth showed the vehicle lying in the water after the tide had started to go out. It had driven along a footpath between East Cliff and Sprey Point before falling over the edge of the sea wall just before 8.00am on Sunday, falling into "fairly heavy swell", Watson said.

Devon and Cornwall Police said divers had confirmed that the driver was alone in the vehicle at the time of the crash. A police spokesman said: "One man was inside the vehicle and exited it. He went into the sea with it and got out." The sports car will be recovered by Teignbridge District Council.